MOHAWK 116, LAMBTON 115 (3OT)
ETOBICOKE, Ont. - The reigning champion Mohawk Mountaineers will meet the Humber Hawks in the gold medal match of the belairdirect Ontario Colleges Athletic Association Men's Basketball Championship at Humber on Sunday.
It's hard to think of a game more heart-stopping than the 116-115 triple overtime semi-final victory by the Mountaineers over the Lambton Lions of Sarnia, Ont., on Saturday night. The game featured 24 lead changes and 18 ties.
It looked like Mohawk could win in regulation, leading by seven points with seven minutes left. But to Lambton's credit, after 40 minutes the score was knotted at 79-79.
In the first overtime, the Mountaineers were down five points with nine seconds left. Jeff Hunt hit a three-pointer and the Mountaineers fouled. Lambton missed the second free throw and that led to Ryan Doornick's three at the buzzer.
In the second overtime, Lambton top gun Branden Padgett fouled out of the contest, but a corner three-pointer from Lions' Shawn Hill, with 9.6 seconds left tied the game 106-106 to force the third overtime. Hill scored 34 points in the game.
In the third overtime, a trey from Hunt and two triples from Patrick Iavarone put the Mountaineers up by four, 115-110, but Lambton's Mike Lucier sank a three-pointer and Anthony Smith tied the score when a loose ball came to him down low. OCAA rookie of the year and top Mohawk player this game, Kareem Collins, was fouled in the dying seconds. He missed his first shot, but made the second and it turned out to be the game winner.
Collins had 29 points and eight rebounds. Hunt scored 20 points and had 15 rebounds. Iavarone scored 24 and had nine boards, OJ Watson collected 18 points and four rebounds and Lamar Barr hit for 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Mohawk head coach Brian Jonker called it an absolutely incredible game. "I'm so proud of these guys," said Jonker. "At the beginning of the year no one outside of our team would have given us a chance to be where we are. We have a chance to defend our title."
Last season Mohawk bumped off Humber in the OCAA final. However Humber had the last laugh, as they won the national championship on Mohawk's floor, as the Mountaineers played host to the CCAA championship.
And the feud between Mohawk and Humber will continue. No matter who wins the final Sunday at 5 p.m., both teams will be going to the national championship at Keyano College in Fort McMurray, Alta., March 16-19, as the OCAA has a wild card for a second team.
"What a journey," said coach Jonker.
Source: Mohawk College